School me on Wiidom

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

Picked up a Wii this weekend for Alexa's birthday/xmas present. Got a hook up at Fry's so I didn't have to wait in line w/ the commoners, which was nice. Had to get the Sports Bundle, which jumped the price from $250+ tax to a smooth $530, but got my brother and sister to chip in so it's not too bad.

So, how hard is this thing to set up? I'm A/V illiterate and have never owned a game system. Don't think I've played one since mastering Super Mario Bros and Contra roughly 18 years ago. TV is a 50" Panasonic LCD if that matters.

Any advice you can give is going to be helpful. I don't have a dog and my daughters not a whiny little p*ssy, so you can steer clear of that particular bit of wisdom.

Dees · Posted: Dec 11, 2007 9:23 am Post subject:

Should be easy. But more important, do you still have the Contra game. That was my favorite game.

chavez · RIP MHL 04/25/1958 - 01/11/2006

jt09, IIRC it comes with a very easy to follow diagram. It would be pretty hard to screw this one up.

PS: I'd spend the $20 and get the component video cable for it.

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

It's not hard to setup. Do you have a receiver and stereo system or are you using the speakers from the TV?

I would recommend getting the Component cables for the wii though. I bought them online for like $11 (up to $60 in the stores) and they made a huge difference.

Make sure you read reviews of new games you are thinking about getting. A lot of companies are starting to release pretty crappy games for it to capitalize on its popularity.

There are a lot of great games for it though but do a couple minutes of research before you drop $30 or $50 on a game.

jryoung · Ladies Man Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 7664 City: Man Jose

^^vv<><>ba start

I would imagine there is a quick start guide, it all depends on how you are going to connect. Audio/video (red, white, yellow), s-video, HDMI, coaxial. I don't know what the Wii uses, but you'll have to start there and determine what are your options for interfaces between your Wii and your TV.

Anyone else see the Wii inspired Southwest Airline commercial where the guy launches the remote into the TV, I know it's stupid but it just cracks me up becasue there are people who have surely done it.

jryoung · Ladies Man Joined: 19 Mar 2004 Posts: 7664 City: Man Jose

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

jryoung, my ex's cousin is a lower tier manager there. I was trading emails w/ her since she was coming in town last weekend and mentioned my frustration over not being able to find one. She responded by telling me she spoke to her cousin and he said he would hold one for me and all I had to do was go in and ask for him. I had no idea she had a cousin that worked there or that Fry's was getting a shipment in.

I have no idea what a component video cable is.

I have a dvd/home theater setup, but it only works w/ the DVD as far as I know. I don't ever have the DVD player on unless I am watching DVDs or playing CDs for that reason.

I think I'll be set on games for a little while. It came w/ Wii Play which has some games on it, the Sports Bundle which has baseball, tennis and golf, and 2 Super Marios games.

goofyboy · Posted: Dec 11, 2007 10:09 am Post subject:

super easy to set up. red coax in to red hole. yellow into yellow and white into white. turn it on and go.
my wife and i love ours. since TV is pretty much crap 4 nights out of the week, we play games now.

joedirt00 · Posted: Dec 11, 2007 11:18 am Post subject:

Broccoli B · Posted: Dec 11, 2007 11:20 am Post subject:

you missed a 2nd ba then select before start.

PimpinD2 · Posted: Dec 11, 2007 11:27 am Post subject:

jt09 since ur such a moron when it comes to this stuff, just stick with the regular coax cables that come with the wii. Im sure somewhere in the front or sides of ur tv will be in an input, just play the color game, and stick the right ones in the right colors. Dont forget to power it up by pluging in the power cable into the wall. Also, the wii has a sensor bar, there is only 1 place in the back that the wire plugs into, make sure u put it centered to the tv, above or below it dosent matter. Once u have the wii running, go into the settings and select where u have the sensor bar above or below the tv, it makes a huge difference!

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

Buy this one (or one like it). $9 after shipping

http://cgi.ebay.com/GOLD-PLATED-HDTV-Component-Cable-for-HD-Nintendo-Wii_W0QQitemZ320194685653QQihZ011QQcategoryZ147176QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Pretty tough to mess up. This is a high definition cable - much better than the normal RCA (yellow, red, white)

joedirt00 · Posted: Dec 11, 2007 11:33 am Post subject:

Broccoli B, 2nd BA was not neccessary and the select at the end was to pick a 2player game and not part of the actual code.

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

PimpinD2, usually I get pissed if someone calls me a moron, but in this case, it readily applies. Good thing I have friends who live for A/V crap or my tv and DVD probably would never have been set up.

Wakebrad, thanks! So that will get me better graphics, right?

aaaand joedirt00 w/ the Contra pwnage! Nice! I thought there was a 2nd BA needed as well. For the record, I got to where I could make it through the entire game on one player, but I had help - we had the arcade version at the DYA on base and I used to play it at lunch pretty much every day.

PimpinD2 · Posted: Dec 11, 2007 11:43 am Post subject:

jt09, sounds like i would be one of those firends if i knew you.... ha

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

Oh yeah. You would be my A/V bitch.

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

PimpinD2 · Posted: Dec 11, 2007 11:46 am Post subject:

jt09, yea youporn.com looks so much cool on the 50 plasma then on a computer screen when im done with setting up the internet on ur tv....

lcap · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Posts: 10973 City: Homeless

From another A/V illiterate moron to another:

Go to Radio Shack and tell them you need to hook up the Wii to the LCD. They'll hook you up.

Don't forget to change the "input" on the T.V. so you can see the game.

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

Ahh the A/V imbecile. The A/V experts best friend. A/V Experts love to have someone to impress with their otherwise useless knowledge and someone to spend the money on things they can't afford. Helping some poor sap with technology is like a minor league baseball player being called to play a game in the majors.

If you are buying a more expensive setup they will be sure to convince you that it's considerably better than the puny other models of which you can't tell the difference. If you want to save some cash they'll make sure to put it in perspective of how inferior it is compared to their setup.

lcap · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Posts: 10973 City: Homeless

Wakebrad

Whoa, easy on the neophytes! At one time we were at the head of the class, then we went to sleep and everything changed!

I have the most effed up "whole house" system for A/V anyone has ever seen. The company that installed the "Smart Panel" won't even claim the work. I have two sets of coax and two sets of CAT 5 cables going to 30 different locations and not one of them is terminated in the box. Then I have some b.s. remote thing--inferred things on the wall.

Unfortunately it doesn't do shiIIT! I have no idea what I need. I have cable service and would like to have two DVD players in the closet with the panel. Then a guy reads about modulators, splitters, boosters, compressors, etc.---eff that, I just need someone to say, here dummy this is what you need.

Then a buddy is having XBox parties. Has Madden Football competitions with 6 different T.V.'s and XBox's going on at the same time. WTF and HTF do you do that?????

Dragonlady8 · Black Widow Joined: 27 Aug 2004 Posts: 9198

DDR is a must for your little girl. Too bad it's $70!
The key is that it connects to the side panel where you can use the xbox controllers.

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

What's DDR?

chavez · RIP MHL 04/25/1958 - 01/11/2006

www.google.com

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

Ahh....maybe for her other birthday in the summer.

lcap · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Posts: 10973 City: Homeless

chavez · RIP MHL 04/25/1958 - 01/11/2006

lcap · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Nov 2003 Posts: 10973 City: Homeless

Wakebrad · Ladies Man Joined: 11 Dec 2003 Posts: 12257 City: Dallas

lcap, I was giving the A/V gurus a hard time. Not you neophytes.

I fall somewhere in between. I'm all about hooking up the house to integrate together but spending $10k on a stereo system is overkill for any home (IMO).

It sounds like what you need is RF (radio frequency) so that the signal can go through walls. It shouldn't be that hard to figure out. I'm all about wiring things to work as if they're integrated into 1 piece. On my remote I press the "watch tv" button and everything turns to the respective TV watching positions. The "Watch Movie" button does the same with everything configured for the DVD player. Most of that is done with a good Harmony remote ($90), but you have to know how to configure it.

You can't always trust those store guys. They set my dad up with such a crappy system that cost twice as much. Seriously, there are a ton of A/V gurus out there that would more than love it if they could help you with it. I know a couple guys who would break a hot date to come shop for stereo receivers. It's absurd.

If I ever make it out your way (wherever that is) I'll get you setup. Or just ask around. I'm sure people you work with know some A/V gurus to help you out.

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

chavez - if you can get your swimmers to work and are lucky enough to have a daughter, you'll be doing plenty of dancing my friend! I got no problem w/ playing DDR w/ my daughter.

Besides, as a hetero man driving a Miata, I'm not sure you are allowed to call other people Colorful

. Something about glass houses and stones. Wink

Dpierce37 · Ladies Man Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 7659 City: Austin

Dude get her Mario Galaxy. I bet she would like the Snowboarding SSX for the wii.

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

Dpierce37, she misses you! Hasn't had her ass kicked in a while!

chavez · RIP MHL 04/25/1958 - 01/11/2006

jt09, swimmers function. Intentional roadblock in place!

The Colorful

thing was a joke! JEEEZ!

jt09 · Ladies Man Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 22083 City: Austin

It's a joke every time we give you crap about your Miata too fool! Mr. Green

chavez · RIP MHL 04/25/1958 - 01/11/2006

jt09, I dunno, I think some of you assbags are actually serious. Shocked